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Quick Review – The Eighth Seal #1

Amelia is a deeply disturbed woman. She has these terrifying visions of herself turning into a horrible creature and performing cruel and vicious acts. She’s seeking therapy for it, and even taking medication, but nothing seems to help. That’s really all there is to tell about this one. Oh, I suppose there is one other slightly important detail. Amelia just so happens to be the First Lady of the United States.

James Tynion IV tries his hand at horror writing with The Eighth Seal. Honestly, as far as story goes, there really is not a whole lot to work with in this first issue. Details are few and far between. There are a few more interesting points that I left out of my synopsis above to steer clear of any major spoilers, but realistically that’s about it. For me though, it works. The lack of any concrete details is what makes me want to read the next one. Tynion dangled the carrot just enough to keep me moving through this issue and waiting for the next.

Now, on to the issue’s real star. Jeremy Rock’s artwork is absolutely hideous. Don’t take that the wrong way. I mean that with as much praise as I possibly can. The few looks that we get at the creature hiding within Amelia are pants-crappingly terrifying. When juxtaposed with the clean and smooth lines of the “regular” world, it makes the transition that much more jarring. I kid you not, during one of the early transitions, I actually jumped when I flipped the page. To be able to make that happen in a print and paper medium is quite impressive.

This probably isn’t the best first issue of a horror comic that you could ever read, but you could certainly do far worse. Sparse details keep you in the dark, but Rock makes sure that you know there are some pretty freaking scary things there with you.

The Verdict for The Eighth Seal #1:5out of 5

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